United States Department of Transportation
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Reducing Stormwater Runoff Volumes with Biochar Addition to Highway Soils
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2019-12-01
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[PDF-1.13 MB]
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Corporate Contributors:Rutgers University. Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs ; Maryland Transportation Authority ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration ; United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program
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Edition:Final Report, 9/1/16 – 12/31/18
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Abstract:Stormwater runoff from roadways is a major source of pollution, but current stormwater treatment technologies, such as bioretention cells, do not efficiently remove contaminants. New technologies are needed that can both remove more pollutants and reduce the volume of stormwater discharge. Such technologies will not only improve water quality but result in significant cost savings for state departments of transportation. Biochar, made by pyrolyzing biological material such as wood chips, may increase water infiltration when used as an amendment in stormwater bioretention cells. Here, we examined how biochar contributes to soil aggregation, which in turn improves water infiltration in soil. We show that biochar changes production of adhesive macromolecules (proteins and polysaccharides), and that particles in biochar-amended soil are, on average, larger in diameter than those in un-amended soil. These macroaggregates likely form on time scales of months to years, suggesting that biochar may be an amendment that increases in effectiveness over time.
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